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Lebanon to Require Visas for Syrians as Refugees Strain Country

Foreign Workers Crowd Out Domestic Labor

Lebanon began requiring Syrians to obtain visas in order to enter the country, as a flood of refugees fleeing Syria's civil war has created immense economic strain. Photo: Getty

By

Dana Ballout

Jan. 4, 2015 7:44 p.m. ET

BEIRUT—On a recent afternoon, unemployed Lebanese men—all under age 35—idled in a general store in Hay al-Selloum, one of Beirut’s poorest suburbs.

Over the past three years, all said they had lost their jobs to Syrian refugees who have come over the border, fleeing war. The Syrians are willing to work for lower wages, in worse conditions and for longer hours than their Lebanese counterparts, according to the International Labor Organization.